San Fran pics

[Rob]

Took some pics when on vacation this Christmas, check em out.


San Simeon and Hearst Castle










Monterey Bay Aquarium












Muir Woods

[Rob]

San Francisco




























Anyone know why there was a schwasticka(sp) on that lamp post? It was at the Old US Mint.

[jeffj]

That swimming pool reminds me of the "cement pond" from the Beverly Hillbillies.

Cool pics. Thanks for sharing.

Swastika:


The Original Meaning
The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix.
Until the Nazis used this symbol, the swastika was used by many cultures throughout the past 3,000 years to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck.
Even in the early twentieth century, the swastika was still a symbol with positive connotations. For instance, the swastika was a common decoration that often adorned cigarette cases, postcards, coins, and buildings. During World War I, the swastika could even be found on the shoulder patches of the American 45th Division and on the Finnish air force until after World War II.
A Change in Meaning
In the 1800s, countries around Germany were growing much larger, forming empires; yet Germany was not a unified country until 1871. To counter the feeling of vulnerability and the stigma of youth, German nationalists in the mid-nineteenth century began to use the swastika, because it had ancient Aryan/Indian origins, to represent a long Germanic/Aryan history.
By the end of the nineteenth century, the swastika could be found on nationalist German volkisch periodicals and was the official emblem of the German Gymnasts' League. In the beginning of the twentieth century, the swastika was a common symbol of German nationalism and could be found in a multitude of places such as the emblem for the Wandervogel, a German youth movement; on Joerg Lanz von Liebenfels' antisemitic periodical Ostara; on various Freikorps units; and as an emblem of the Thule Society.

http://history1900s.about.com/cs/swa...ikahistory.htm

Doesn't directly answer your question, but it looks like it had other significance throughout history.

[Lefty Kev]

Quote: Anyone know why there was a schwasticka(sp) on that lamp post? It was at the Old US Mint...

You often see this in Southeast Asia as a form of religious symbolism. I also believe the Nazi swastika is in reverse

[jeffj]

Originally Posted by Lefty Kev

Quote: Anyone know why there was a schwasticka(sp) on that lamp post? It was at the Old US Mint...

You often see this in Southeast Asia as a form of religious symbolism. I also believe the Nazi swastika is in reverse.

Nah. It's going the same way as the one in the pic.

[Fishysticks]

Very cool pics. I try to get up to at least Monterey once a year, there is way too much cool stuff to see!

[Fired Yo Momma]

That castle was big pimpin. Its pretty cool my grandfather in WW2 and dropped in D-Day with the 101st the whole Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers thing anyways he has some pretty cool German war stuff that he took for souvenirs. Till this day he really douse not like German people.

Pretty cool information about the Swastika JeffJ.

[cbHarping]

Ahhh...I miss the City...thanks for sharing! That last shot looks like a postcard, beautiful!

[dirtmistress]

Good eye spotting that on a lamp post.
I'll be up there end of Feb. eating crab on the wharf,going to Alcatraz for the first time and riding if I can.
Your avatar is disturbing.

[Rob]

Originally Posted by dirtmistress

Your avatar is disturbing.

Gil Caz Pm'ed me and told me he smacked his computer screen the first time he saw it.

[northshore]

Thanks for the pics Rob. I really do miss the City. It's my second home since a number of my relatives live there. I was there during Thanksgiving weekend and was right in the plaza during the tree lighting cermony. Awesome holiday vibe!!